Sichuan Hit Han Dynasty to Open on Upper West Side this Spring

Owner Han Chiang tells Eater that he will open a second NYC outpost of Han Dynasty, his wildly popular Philadelphia-based Sichuan restaurant chain, this spring on the Upper West Side. It will be located at 215 West 85th Street, the address that last housed an ill-fated outpost of Italian mini-chain Bocca Di Bacco, which only lasted a scant five months before shuttering. That is a fate that seems unlikely to befall Han Dynasty, given its popularity downtown.

The menu at the new Han Dynasty will be the same as it is downtown (think dan dan noodles, wok-fried meats, and those blistering hot dry pepper chicken wings), and Chiang is bringing his chef Mei da Liu from Philadelphia to set up the kitchen. Chiang will be applying for a full liquor license, which would be a step up from the original East Village outpost, which operates with only beer and wine. The restaurant is expected to open in early May.